Joseph Sciabbarrasi, MD

I agree with Akiko’s review 100% percent! I already wrote a review before, but it got lost in the middle of Unilocal signup hassle, but it seems Aikiko said it all!
Words can not express the gratitude I feel for Dr Schiabbarrasi and for every single person working at his office! They all go to great lengths to help whenever they can, they are friendly and understanding. Dr Schiabbarrasi was the only doctor, after I had been suffering alone, running from doctor to doctor all over the world for help, who first of all sat down to really think what it could be, looked at my symptoms and had real questions to ask to clarify, and got the diagnose right even before test results were there to confirm. He is exceptionally open and interested in finding any way to make the patient better. I am still in the progress for recovery, but because of Dr Schiabbarrasi for the first time I have a fair chance to get my life back. This is no minor detail.
I warmly recommend their services to anybody who wishes to be treated well, to feel taken care of and to actually get better.

Okay, first of all, I have never written a Unilocal review before. I just use it to stare at images of food at 3am in bed, and the thought of leaving a review has never really crossed my mind.
But now things have changed.
I randomly checked this page realizing I haven’t had the opportunity to look at my favorite doctor’s Unilocal yet and wow, reading some of the negative comments below, I was furious and had to speak the truth!!!
I have been feeling sick and abnormal from chronic Lyme disease for a long time, but wasn’t diagnosed till 2 years ago.
I was seeing a different doctor at first, but due to long distance, I searched for a doctor in LA.
Like countless others who have Lyme disease or other chronic illnesses, I was misdiagnosed and mistreated continuously that by this point I had lost faith in most doctors.
But one thing I know now is that I was wrong.
There are doctors out there that care!!!
Yes, Dr. Sciabbarrasi might be expensive, but what freaking doctor isn’t!!!
It is the medical system in this country which plays a huge role in this phenomenon and that is obvious. The high cost of these private practices are the result of insurance companies and the medical establishment’s neglect to care for the chronically ill. These practitioners are forced to work outside the system. And either way, I have never gone to a «cheap» doctor ever in this country so why blame him?
Doctors work their asses off their whole lives to get to where they are, and as a result their service becomes a bit pricey.
Everyone on my mom’s side of the family are doctors, so I have seen the years they put into this career-​path, it is not a joke. And frankly, legitimate doctors like Dr. Sciabbarrasi do not deserve negative comments whatsoever.
My intention isn’t to focus this review on the nonsense that others have said, but let me just get this straight for prospective patients who might encounter this Unilocal page.
1. To the «he does too many lab work» comment = He does a ton of tests to get to the bottom of your illness, Helloo?!
What else would you expect, him to look at you and instantly know what’s wrong?
He has helped me figure out countless issues since I started seeing him, crossing off any potential causes that could be worsening my illness, etc.
He also patiently listens to any possibilities that I personally would’ve found through research, and will work with you to get to the bottom of your disease. He is by no means a pushy doctor who shoves his opinions down your throat but a very cooperative doctor who makes you feel as an individual that your opinions matter and that you’re safe in his hands :).
2. To the «he was shuffling through files during my consultation» comment = doctors are busy!!!
They help hundreds of people, and doctors are human beings too. Obviously they will shuffle through files on some occasions. that does not reflect his worth as a doctor at all.
Lastly, I personally don’t see what is wrong with him giving himself an IV.
I can’t even think of one reason why that would freak me out. Is it weird if chefs are tasting their food while cooking? Or is it weird if a dentist is brushing his own teeth at the office? No.
Maybe he wasn’t feeling well that day, but came into work regardless to help his patients, and that’s why he did the IV.
Honestly, Who cares?
Dr. Sciabbarrasi is nothing but a kind, compassionate, and a very knowledgable human being. I wish he was my uncle or a relative so I could always talk to him, too bad I’m not Italian!!!
He helped me out extremely while I was going through a difficult time not too long ago. Not just medically, but emotionally as well, with his care and wisdom.
My boyfriend and I teared up because of his amazing motivational words and advice.
I even shared what he said on a Lyme disease Facebook page and everyone loved it.
He stayed in his office until 9pm talking to us when he could’ve checked out hours before to go home and eat his Italian meatballs.
God, he is such a boss and just amazing to the moon and back.
So if anyone miraculously has read my comment this far, I truly would recommend him as a doctor. I am actually surprised at how passionate I’ve gotten while writing this, but that’s how kick ass he is :).
Not to mention, he is also funny and just makes you feel happy and hopeful every time you come in for a visit.
Also, his staff is super awesome!
They are so so helpful and always tries to squeeze me in his busy day if there is an emergency. Those fierce ladies are always on top of their game & most importantly, they are so nice and fun, I actually look forward to going to a doctor’s office!!! Seeing them and talking to them cheers me up & helps me get through my illness, so thank you Joy, Irma and Bianca :)!!!
I could write a thousand more things as to why he is a great doctor, but I will stop here because this review is probably Unilocal’s longest review in history & I’m not even sure if it’ll fit.
YAY to Dr. Sciabbarrasi, we love you to the max!

Dr Joe is the most thorough and integrative doctor I’ve yet to find. I’ve seen dozens of traditional western MD’s specialists and internists, as well as naturopaths, acupuncturists, chiropractors, osteopaths, you name it. In his search toward helping me heal some chronic health conditions that I’ve had for 10+ years, he seems to think of everything possible and looks at the entire picture rather than just treating symptoms. He is very warm and also funny and no doubt cares tremendously about his patients. It’s reassuring to have someone like Dr. Joe helping me understand what’s going on with me and teaching me how to participate in my own healing. The girls in his office — Irma and Joy and his lovely nurses — are very on top of it! For those of you who have had to deal with multiple doctors offices over the years, you know how helpful this is! As rare as it is to find a doctor who’s willing to dive in with you and really help you heal, it is just as rare to find an entire team who seems to be just as invested. Thanks Dr Joe, Irma and Joy, for your dedication and refreshing kindness and support!
As for the negative reviews, sounds to me like the people who wrote them were almost looking for reasons to be distrustful. I can understand the temptation to do this as many of us have been mistreated and dismissed by medical practitioners in ways that are quite traumatic, but I’ve been seeing Dr. Joe for several years and those reviews are simply not a accurate reflection of how gifted Dr. Joe is at helping people get well. We should be excited to see our own doctors getting their own IV infusion of vitamins and taking good care of themselves in the same ways he’s encouraging us to do as patients! Who wants to listen to a doctor tell us what to do that isn’t doing the same for him or herself?

Dr. Sciabbarrasi is the most compassionate and thorough doctor I’ve ever seen. He gave me my life back after struggling with chronic health issues for years, after I had wasted time and money seeing many other doctors who just tried to Band-​Aid my health issues with antibiotics. Dr. S took the time and ordered the appropriate tests to dig deep and find the root causes of my health woes. Dr. S was my doctor from 2004 — 2011, when I moved away from Los Angeles. I’ve yet to find another doctor that comes close to Dr. S, and one day I hope to have the means to continue to see Dr. S, even if I continue to live out of state.

I’m not sure whether this doctor is a doctor, lawyer or possibly an Indian chief. Being an integrative physician I expected that he did not take insurance, but his fee schedule depends on how much time you spend with him. So if you have a lengthy initial appointment, expect a large bill. (And if you’re going to an integrative physician you probably have a lot of issues.) After a visit and loading up on supplements I was given tests to take at home. The office charged me $ 35 per test just to take them home! Now any doctor that has ever given me a similar test just gives it to you. Because the labs provide them to these doctors at no cost. In fact, I would guess they receive additional funds from these labs for using their services. So I was like «what?»
Moving on. I got some results from a test I had done with another physician that was indicated for my condition. I called to ask if I should discontinue any of the supplements I was on given the results and I was told to call back the next day. I spoke to the doctor for, maybe, 6 minutes. I was then told that I owed an additional fee for the phone call! (Pro-​rated on his hourly charge.) I don’t know about you, but I have never been charged by a doctor for asking a question that would be a normal response to a patient’s concerns. Especially since I am an existing patient who’s paid him upfront! This seems to me like a money grab and rather unethical to boot. Even my lawyer doesn’t charge me for asking a brief question! And we know what kind of bottom feeders they are…
Now unless this guy can heal via hands on, a la Jesus Christ, I don’t know who he thinks he is. Certainly not the ‘compassionate healer’ I’ve seen mentioned in other posts. Or maybe other clients come with a bottomless purse. But that’s not me. His love of money seems to supercede his medical acumen thus far. But I can tell you that he certainly doesn’t spend any of it on his office, which is dark and dingy.
Lastly (and this is minor but somehow speaks to his eccentricities), when he provides instructions on when to take supplements he has a system where he writes little symbols on a piece of paper to indicate when they should be taken. There is a key below to explain his scribbles. Would it be so hard just to write: «take 3 times a day with meals.»?
All in all, unless you enjoy being treated like an ATM machine you might find more compassionate care elsewhere.

My entire family and I have been patient’s of Dr. Sciabbarrasi’s for several years and I can honestly say that I have never found a more intelligent, compassionate and insightful medical doctor. He truly listens to what I have to say, my medical as well as associated emotional issues. He has led me on my path to optimal well being, and I can’t thank him, and his fantastic staff enough!
It’s hard to read his negative reviews, especially coming from patients who saw him years ago. I mean, really, don’t they have anything better to do?

BUYER BEWARE. Hold onto your money! I went to Dr. Sciabbarrasi several years ago for chronic fatigue syndrome and feel compelled to write this review. He conducted an enormous battery of tests ($$.) Finally the results of all the tests were compiled. I was eager to hear his analysis and observations. I expected to gain some insights even if he could not find «a cure.» When I sat with him, it was obvious that he hadn’t read any test results. He fumbled though each test trying to make sense of them and I could hear the meter running“ka’ching ka’ching.” Very disappointing. $ 2,000 later I’d had enough.

Dr. Joseph is an incredibly meticulous and experienced doctor who specializes in diagnosing and healing very hard to find illnesses, chronic conditions, and deep health issues. He is the best there is if you have difficult to solve problems or don’t even know what’s wrong. He’ll find it.
In my own case, after 10 doctors and dozens of tests failed to figure out what was wrong, over many years, he suspected and found Lyme disease and got me back on the patch to health. Even though my symptoms were not at all typical. We found it and now I’m doing much better.
He combines western and eastern medicine with herbal support and custom programs, and he also offers a variety of vitamin drips and other deep healing options.
And yes, it does come at a price since some of the tests he suggests are not covered fully by insurance. But if you are at the end of your rope and nobody else has been able to help you, he’s the best. It’s worth it.
The staff is great and very helpful.
His custom supplements and other supplements he suggests are the highest grade available and they will match any price.
Bottom line is that this is a high-​end medical service for high-​end people who don’t have time in their lives to mess around with doctors who are just trying to move patients as fast as they can. If you need personal attention and support for your health situation, and you are tired of getting the runaround from other doctors and test labs, this is for you.
In the end paying for Dr. J’s services, which are premium, is cheaper than paying for a other cheaper but less accurate and less concerned doctors and lab tests. I speak from experience here.
Ok now what about the weird negative reviews from some people below??? They are just odd and I would take those with a serious grain of salt.
I have been a patient for many years and know many others who are as well, and nobody has ever had a bad experience or experienced anything that was off.
All I can say is that there are certainly some wackos out there who are posting really nutty reviews, but I personally can say I think that is total b.s. and there must be mental issues behind those reviews. I would not pay attention to them.
Dr. S. is definitely a GOOD doctor who really knows what he is doing and is that the top of his game on all the latest research, new medicines and protocols, and cutting-​edge testing approaches.
Believe me, I am THE most difficult and discerning kind of patient. I know almost as much about medicine as most doctors. I really put them through the ringer and make them justify everything. Dr. S. has really impressed me with his knowledge, attention to detail, and willingness to dig in to explain and even prove whatever he suggests.
You can find a cheaper doctor. But you can’t find a better doctor.

I had an incredible experience with Dr. Joe. I was about 35 pounds overweight and was at my last straw. I admittedly have had to deal with so many doctors that I am kind of numb when it comes to the ‘hard sell” that goes on when doctors get lured into selling all sort of crap in their office so I didn’t buy any of the additional stuff. It is kind of like a hairdresser that keeps going on and on and on about the hair product they are selling that month. Cuz next month it will be a new brand that is the ‘best ever’.
Anyway, he took his time-1.50 hours with me getting all my info. Yes, some of the bloodwork they do is excessive and insurance will not cover most of it. So, I did not pay it. I have expensive PPO coverage anyway so I feel like I pay enough.
I will agree that all the extra test that he likes to do borders on unethical and they do need to really consider someone’s budget and necessity for that. But he diagnosed me and I have lost the 35 and hope to continue to do so. I felt horrible before. Was swollen, couldn’t sleep, had acne again, blah blah blah and the hormone replacement therapy made all the difference for me. I can definitely recommend him for that. The other stuff like anti-​aging or this new HCG thing I have no idea. I went for basic post hysterectomy hormone issues, pre-​diabetes and blood pressure issues and no longer have to take any of those meds or cholesterol meds either.
I just transferred all the meds to my main doctor after a couple of months and no longer even need to go see him.
If you are in need of someone to actually listen to what you are saying he is the best one I have been to and trust me, I have gone to a lot. One’s that have written 10+ books on hormone replacement that didn’t do jack squat for me.
Worth a try but be ready to spend the $ 400.

I can’t recommend this practitioner or office. The story is seriously too long and too personal to put out there on the net. I can say briefly that the final nail in the coffin as far as credibility was when I saw the doc come out of a patient room himself in a patient gown… not fully dressed… It was the surreal cherry on top of a series of unprofessional, bizarre mishaps. What kind of doctor walks around in a blue gown in front of his own patients?
As the other reviewer so aptly notes, there’s an almost ADHD atmosphere in the office, the doctor was «all over the place» during my evaluations, jumping from topic to topic and despite a long list of specific health complaints, I walked out with nothing substantive to focus on. Sure I had a handful of print outs and mild recommendations to «some day» consider this or that, but no real solutions or answers were suggested. The only recommendation was for more expensive tests and unnecessary, thousand dollar NAET treatment (see below) that he said he could perform AT A DISTANCE!
The other things: well, how about an untrained, white collar front office worker administering an EKG, a missed diagnosis (see below) that set me back for several years and the time I was having a very bad allergic reaction while in the office and the doc essentially erased 200+ years of medicine and told me it was hysteria (not in those words, but that was his message). Nevermind I have had documented allergies to various things. Did he not get the memo that a dismissive idea like female ‘hysteria’ went out of style in the medical world in the 1960’s? Way to treat your customer base doc — you do mainly market yourself as a specialist in female hormones…
Like many «holistic» docs in L.A. there are plenty of supplements that’ll be offered to you here, and of course, they’ll cost more than at the grocery store, despite being the same substance. No insurance accepted, of course. Expect to pay about $ 400 for an initial visit. Not cheap this hooey.
*See the photo offered as a representative of their office: a case full of designer supplements!
p. s. Dr. Sciabbarrasi practices NAET allergy elimination and may suggest it to new patients. What’s questionable about how he does NAET is his inability to muscle test for specific allergies. Instead Dr. S says you have to get desensitized for ALL possible allergens to the tune of approx (if memory serves…) $ 1,200. That’s simply outrageous considering I know of another NAET practitioner about 3 miles away that will muscle test for specific allergies and perform NAET only for the things you actually have an allergy to for an $ 80 session. + wiggy weird is that Dr. S says he can perform this expensive, $ 1,200 service at a distance! You don’t even have to be present. wtf? After seeing him roam the office in a blue patient gown, am I to trust that he’ll actually do the necessary steps of this ‘distance’ allergy treatment when no one’s actually there to watch?
p. p. s. If Dr. Sciabbarrasi recommends IV chelation for heavy metal detox, RUN! This is very dangerous according to Andrew Cutler, PhD. Now, a few years after my multi-​visit experience as a patient of Sciabbarrsi’s office, I can tell you that Dr. Sciabbarrasi wouldn’t know a heavy metal poisoned patient if one fell on him. That’s what my problem turned out to be all along (and not recognized by Sciabbarrasi as the underlying foundational problem) and according to Dr. Cutler of
, IV chelation is super dangerous and can permanently damage the patient, actually sending heavy metals into the brain!